Deep Vein Thrombosis

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Pathophysiology

Deep vein thrombosis, or deep venous thrombosis, (DVT) is the formation of a blood clot (thrombus) within a deep vein, predominantly in the legs. Non-specific signs may include pain, swelling, redness, warmness, and engorged superficial veins. DVT often develops in the calf veins and "grows" in the direction of venous flow, towards the heart. When DVT does not grow; it can be cleared naturally and dissolved into the blood (fibrinolysis).

Disease Statistics

From 1 January 2005 to 31 December 2008, 3938 Doppler ultrasound studies were performed for suspected DVT. Proximal DVT was diagnosed in 687 patients. Of these, 434(63%) patients developed DVT during hospitalization. DVT developed in these patients after at least 3 days of hospital study (median 8 days, range 3–86 days). Two hundred and fifty-three (37%) subjects were admitted because of DVT developing within 14 days (range 2–14 days, median 6 days) of discharge from a previous medical admission.

Treatment

The basic treatments for the disease are Anticoagulation, which prevents further coagulation, home treatment, stockings, walking, and repeat imaging and IVC filters, thrombolysis, and thrombectomy. The aims of the physicians are to prevent clot becoming larger, clot becoming lose and traveling to lungs, new clot formation and Post thrombotic syndrome.

Major Research on Disease

The current major research on the diseases are efficacy of low doses of heparin for the prevention of the DVT after a major surgery, accuracy of the clinical assessment for DVT, Decreased plasma levels of activated factor VII in patients with deep vein thrombosis etc.